


Shoulder To Shoulder

by DixieDale



Category: Clan O'Donnell - Fandom, Garrison's Gorillas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2018-06-04
Packaged: 2019-05-18 04:02:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14845335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DixieDale/pseuds/DixieDale
Summary: How were they to survive this war, the team, the villagers?  The only way they could - shoulder to shoulder.





	Shoulder To Shoulder

The bombers flew over before midnight, headed for London. There were no lights showing in Brandonshire to tempt them; they could only think something had malfunctioned, or maybe one of the pilots got nervous, or maybe just over eager. He wouldn't survive his mistake; the artillery battery waiting for them on the outskirts of London would see to that, but that didn't help Brandonshire. What would help Brandonshire was luck. Well, luck and the staunch and hurried action of those who lived there, working as a team, fighting to control the fires, rescue those trapped and injured.

She was waiting with the others, anxiously looking into the crowd of tired and smoke-stained men coming slowly into the square. She'd have been with them, except she was officially on the injured list and limited to skirts rather than trousers, especially as quickly as she'd had to get dressed when the bombs started falling; she probably would have been more hindrance than help with what they were doing.

Still, even with only one working arm and hand she'd helped with the rescue of those trapped in the rubble of collapsed buildings, thinking to herself it was a blessing most were only one story and of simple design. She'd carried water and coffee, fetched blankets, reunited frantic mothers and wailing children, checked the various cottages for any signs of additional fires or potential dangers, made sure no one was trapped, or just left alone and bewildered and frightened. She'd done all that, all the while her mind racing, thinking of him, of them, fighting the blaze at the church and community hall and the two closest cottages to the blast, thankfully empty.

Now, the all clear had sounded, and they were coming, some walking unaided, though slowly, painfully, their exhaustion evident; some came having their arm over another's shoulder for some support; there were fewer than there should have been, not by many perhaps, but she knew some were missing. Her eyes searched the group, slowly, then more quickly, now almost frantic, not seeing him, in fact, not seeing any of their group.

{"Surely . . . Oh, please . . ."} and she was having trouble breathing. She sat down the water jug and started forward, her skirts now caught in up in her left hand so she could move faster. A firm hand caught at her arm.

"Easy, child. The injured have been settled onto the far side of the square, so as not to move them any more than necessary. Alex is there, and sent me a message to come and help. Just to know, there's been no one killed," watching, hearing the sound the young woman made, almost a sob of relief.

The older woman shook her head, {"for a Dragon, for someone with the reputation she has, the nickname of Ice Queen, you sure couldn't tell it where that lad and his friends are concerned. Soft as fresh-churned butter she is with them."}

"You know your lads, if one's down, the others won't be far away," the doctor's wife reminded her.

She took a deep breath, "that's true enough. I'll go with you," and they made their way quickly around the crowd to where the injured were laid out on blankets, or were sitting on the grass, waiting to be tended.

Yes, there on one blanket lay one of the team, steadily cursing, Casino from the sound of it. Next to him, sitting crosslegged, holding one bleeding arm was Garrison, {"I swear he can get himself bloodied walking across a dance floor!"} Chief and Actor were kneeling between them, giving what help they could, with their blond pickpocket talking to Casino steady to distract him. They saw her as she approached, her one arm still bound to her side from that dislocation on her last little jaunt, saw the anxious look on her face, and Goniff got to his feet to go and reassure her.

They were always discreet, well, mostly, - okay, not so much anymore; while the village knew of their friendship, not so many knew how 'friendly' they really were, at least had no solid proof as such, that bit of foolishness with Dolly notwithstanding, though that dance at the pub certainly had started some heavy speculation. 

Somehow, though, things now got out of hand; perhaps it was the danger being here on their home ground; perhaps it was the worry, her for him and the others; him for her and his team. Perhaps it was adrenaline. Perhaps it was just time. Anyway, by the time he'd come to within a step of her, discretion was long flown.

Her hand reached out to brush his grimy hair away from his face, his hands reached out for her, and his lips found hers, first soft and tentative, then not, and her one good hand now at his shoulder, then around his back holding him tightly to her. The kiss seemed to last forever, and she heard only a deep roar in her head, and then they broke the kiss, smiling at each other in relief. His blue eyes looked at her, her brown ones looking back into his, then she saw them widen with remembering, and he raised his head slowly to look at the open-mouthed crowd watching them. He looked back at her, "you think they might suspect something?" with that wide mischievious grin of his breaking through.

"I think they just might, my love, I think they just might," and she laughed and leaned into him, holding him tight, and then trying that kiss, just one more time, finding it just as sweet this time, even with the flavor of soot and sweat intermingling. They heard the clapping and laughter from the crowd, along with a few whistles, and he grinned again, sheepishly and gave a little laugh, her joining him. He led her back over to their group, and she greeted each them, touching Casino on his shoulder in encouragement for his bearing with whatever the doctor was doing to him now, touching Garrison on his gold blond head, having him give her a weary smile. Healing, rebuilding, moving forward - they would do all of that, they and the village, shoulder to shoulder. They were getting used to that.


End file.
